Word has been going around for the last few months that Simon Rutz had left or would be leaving his position at GLORY. Today GLORY sent out an official press release confirming the news:

SINGAPORE (March 27, 2013) - – Glory Sports International (GSI), the parent company of the world’s new premiere kickboxing league, GLORY World Series, today announced that Simon Rutz, the founder and former owner of ‘It’s Showtime,’ the world championship kickboxing league that GSI purchased in October, has officially stepped down from his role as a consultant to GLORY and retired from the kickboxing business.

“It’s been a phenomenal run and I have so many incredible memories from the time I’ve spent in this great sport,” said Rutz, who launched It’s Showtime in 1999 with an event at Kennemer Sportcenter in the Netherlands and promoted his 60th and final event in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Nov. 10, 2012. “I am looking forward to watching many of the fighters we built at It’s Showtime continue their careers in the GLORY ring where the competition is the fiercest in the entire kickboxing universe.”

During his tenure in the sport, Rutz promoted a multitude of kickboxing superstars including top-ranked heavyweights Daniel Ghita and Tyrone Spong and lightweight (154 pounds/70 kilograms) contender Robin van Roosmalen, all of whom have since become GLORY competitors.

“Simon built a very strong enterprise with It’s Showtime, and fans worldwide demonstrated a sincere enthusiasm for his product, so GLORY was fortunate to have the opportunity to acquire the company and place all of its world-class fight talent under the GLORY umbrella to form the most powerful roster in the history of kickboxing,” said GLORY CEO Andrew Whitaker. “We wish Simon all the best with his future endeavors and thank him for his contributions to the sport.”